STAND. COM. REP. 2056

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: S.B. No. 3078

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation, Military Affairs, and Government Operations, to which was referred S.B. No. 3078 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HIGHWAYS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to transfer jurisdiction over state highways to the counties, effective July 1, 2004, and to make an appropriation to each county accordingly.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Honolulu Department of Facilities Maintenance. Testimony in opposition to this measure was received from the Department of Transportation and County of Kauai.

This measure represents the classic home rule issue. According to testimony, other states have moved in the direction of turning over state highways to local jurisdiction. The major issues are transfer of funds from the State to the counties and what to do about federal interstate highways.

Federal law requires that a state department or entity must have management and oversight of federal-aid highway moneys that are distributed to the states. Otherwise, the receipt of federal funds could be jeopardized. However, your Committee believes that there could be a way to satisfy federal requirements, which appear to be mainly financial administration, while having the counties do the maintenance and repair functions.

Since this issue has been discussed in recent years, your Committee wishes to keep the discussion alive by passing it on to the Committee on Ways and Means for further consideration.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation, Military Affairs, and Government Operations that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3078 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Transportation, Military Affairs, and Government Operations,

____________________________

CAL KAWAMOTO, Chair